Following the release of Tulliah’s single 'Just My Type (A Little Bit Lonely)', the 19 year old singer songwriter from Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, recently revealed the new single ‘Distant Dreams’ alongside news her debut EP Fre$h Hugs will be out next Friday March 12 (via AWAL). Today, she shares the official video for Distant Dreams.
Filmed in Tulliah’s hometown, Mt Martha Beach, Australia and directed by Cass Wood, Tulliah explains: “30 degrees, snow gear on the beach, fish man = very weird dream! I had this idea for a while that the video clip for “Distant Dreams” would be really weird and dream like. When I was in the studio we went on a tangent about being in winter clothes while sunbathing on the beach, flying on planes to Hawaiian beaches and little fishes eating big sharks. I have no idea why haha but I knew it was weird, just like all Dreams are”.
The title origins of ‘Distant Dreams’ came from the back of a painting in her parent’s home. Tulliah describes how the captivating track came together: "We set up my new piano in the backroom of my parent’s. My mum was moving a painting that they have had for years to the top of the piano when she read the back of it - it was called Distant Dreams. This song flowed out of me. I used to never really believe that I could achieve my dreams. This song is about not wanting to break away from my visions and goals. The lyrics ‘don’t go waking me up’ is a really direct demand to myself! It’s about not wanting to go back to doubting my capabilities.”
The new EP Fre$h Hugs simultaneously captures Tulliah’s pure brilliance in pop music, alongside the heartfelt stories and emotions that give them their soothing edge; balancing both intimacy and richness through swirling and incredibly powerful pop music. Dean Tuza (Stella Donnelly, The Rubens) sat in the production hot seat across the entirety of the EP, working closely with Tulliah to finesse each track. In addition, Grammy-winning producer David Kahne (Lana Del Ray, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks) produced string arrangements that feature on the EP.
Recorded throughout mid-2020 while her Victorian hometown came out of lockdown (and then back in again), the EP offers relatable glimpses at a teenage musician coming of age, reflecting on mental health and relationships – as well as a friend that was cheated on while they were in a coma, believe it or not – with a warmth and comfort that feels like a hug from a close friend (hence the EP title). With influences nodding towards Whitney and Aldous Harding, Fre$h Hugs is a reflection of a maturing adult and the music that’s helped soundtrack her most pivotal moments; the end result being music with that certain something special that makes you feel like it's going to be a soundtrack for other people in itself.
There’s a lot to take in on Fre$h Hugs - honest stories, vocals years in the making, fluttering samples and crashing waves - but for Tulliah, this is just the start. “I’m just really excited to meet people that love these little parts of me.”
